Crystal Wahpepah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Crystal Wahpepah
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![]() Wahpepah in 2022
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Born | |
Education | Le Cordon Bleu |
Style | Native American cuisine |
Crystal Wahpepah is an amazing Indigenous American chef. She made history as the first Indigenous chef to appear on the cooking show Chopped. Crystal runs her own catering business and a restaurant called Wahpepah's Kitchen. Her goal is to bring back and celebrate Native American cuisine. She has been honored with the Indigenous Artist Activist Award. In 2022, she was also a finalist for the prestigious James Beard Award in the Emerging Chef category.
Crystal Wahpepah was born and grew up in Oakland, California. She is a proud member of the Kickapoo and Sac and Fox tribes from Oklahoma. When she was a child, she loved cooking with her older family members.
Crystal Wahpepah's Culinary Journey
Crystal Wahpepah went to a famous cooking school called Le Cordon Bleu. There, she learned all about French cooking. After school, she traveled across the United States. She wanted to learn more about Native farming and traditional cooking methods. When she opened her restaurant, Wahpepah's Kitchen, it was the first Indigenous food restaurant in the entire San Francisco Bay Area.